Children of the Night
by Bunny1
Summary: Sequel to "Against All Odds".


  
  
"Children of the Night"  
by,  
Bunny  
  
  
Note: Sequel to "Against All Odds".  
  
  
~All that I know in my life I have learned on the street. No magic carpet, no genie, no shoes on my feet. Will I wake up from this nightmare, a fear that chills me to the bone? Though I may be one of many, I feel so all alone.~  
  
Merton looked grimly around his surroundings. He had dreamed of places like this, but now it was his prison, his worst nightmare. A fine mist of a fog was ever-present, and they were in what looked like Greek ruins, but there were no tourists there, merely different people, from different times, all trapped, like him. This is what happened to the spirits of the statues made by Medusa.   
  
"How could I have done this?" he moaned, his head falling into his hands.   
  
He felt increasingly guilty, and Tommy had yet to forgive him. He too often let himself get turned by a pretty head, but... no more...  
  
"Never again..." he muttered determinedly. "That is, if I ever get out of here..." he sighed, kicking aside a piece of rubble.   
  
"Perhaps your loved ones will figure it out before it is too late?" a young woman suggested gently to him.   
  
She was dressed like a pilgrim; Merton felt sorry that it was too late for her...   
  
"I wish I could see them..." he couldn't help sighing wistfully.   
  
"Come..." she said, taking his hand and leading him to a small fountain. "Here we can see into our world as it is, or even our fondest memories..." she said a bit sadly. "I know it's not the same as being able to touch, but... it helps..." she apologized.   
  
"Thank you..." he rasped gratefully, taking both her hands to his lips and kissing them gently.  
  
The Pilgrim girl blushed and curtisied, deciding then to leave him to his visions in private...  
  
~We are the children of the night. We won't go down without a fight. Our voice is strong, our future's bright. And, thanks to what we've learned from you, we've grown into the children of the night.~  
  
Merton didn't even have to speak, and Lair appeared in the fountain before him...  
  
{Becky lay on his bed, sobbing. Tommy came in and saw her thus, and became concerned. He went to comfort her, and she fell on his chest, sobbing.   
  
"Shhhh, it'll be okay, Becky..." Tommy soothed, rubbing her back gently.   
  
"N-no..." she stammered, slightly muffled by his chest. "What if he never comes back? Tommy, he's been gone for 2 days... I'm scared..." she admitted.  
  
Tommy's face flashed extreme guilt, but he tried to cover it up before Becky could see. "Ummm, I'm sure we'll find him, Beckers..."  
  
"How?" she demanded, brushing the tears away impatiently from her cheeks.  
  
"I don't know, but... I promise we will get him back..." he swore, looking into her eyes...}  
  
~Left by my father with only this scar on my face. Told by my mother that, no, you were just a mistake. I have tasted my own hunger, sold my body to survive. Sure, the pain has scratched the surface, but, they can't touch what's inside.~  
  
{Tommy danced, Stacey in his arms, not a care in the world. Suddenly, a soft   
plea broke up on his ears...   
  
Merton was yanked from his chair by T&T. "I was sitting... HELP ME!" he   
yelped as they dragged him away.  
  
Tommy's protective instinct instantly up, he grew angry fangs without even   
thinking about it.   
  
"Tommy, not here! We're in a public place." Stacey giggled, thinking he was   
on the make.   
  
Tommy nodded and gave her a closed-mouthed smile, sending an evil glare   
towards the doorway behind her back. Suddenly, he noticed the claws   
growing... "Ahhh..." he whispered, suddenly running away.  
  
"Tommy, where are you going?!" she demanded, stamping her foot.   
  
"It's only fair to warn you, my father's a Navy Seal..." Merton said as they   
were dragging him towards the wall.  
  
Tommy grew angrier, his transformation more quickly coming.  
  
"I could disembowel a Rhino with a paperclip?" he tried, as they slammed him   
into the wall.  
  
"What do you think, Tim?" Travis asked. "We work on the suplex, figure four,   
or go straight for the bodyslam?"   
  
"Bodyslam!" they said together, with a little nod.  
  
Tommy growled ferally as he leaped upon them, knocking them away from Merton.   
Merton cheered him on as he fought them and scared them away.   
  
"See ya, losers!" Merton taunted as they jumped the fence. "Yeah, there's   
more where that came from! OH yeah! Thanks, Tommy..." he said gratefully,   
looking around for his new friend. "Tommy? What are you doin' back here?" he   
asked, seeing him finally with his head stuck in the back door.  
  
"That should be *me* in there dancing with her." he pouted. "But nooooo. Look   
at me! I'm a frikin monster!"   
  
"You saved my butt, Tommy... A monster wouldn't've done that..." he said   
softly. "Except for maybe Swamp Thing; he had a good heart..." he amended   
with a tilt of his head. "Come on, we should get you back to the Lair before   
the Dog Catcher makes his rounds..." he said, biting back a laugh and turning   
to go. "Tommy?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah... I'm coming..." he sighed, taking one last look at Stacey   
dancing with the other guy...}  
  
~We are the children of the night. We won't go down without a fight. Our voice is strong, our future's bright. And, thanks to what we learned from you, we've grown into the children of the night. Whoa. Ohhhhh.~  
  
{Becky ran, fast as her legs would carry her, into the Lair, tackling Merton, who was fast asleep.  
  
"Oooomph!" he groaned as she landed. He looked down in surprise to see the bundle on top of him, shivering and sobbing. "Becky?" he asked in shock.  
  
She snuffled softly, then sat up. "I had a nightmare..." she admitted.  
  
Merton sighed heavily; she'd been having them ever since the Phobiast...  
  
"Shhhh, it's okay..." he soothed. "Drowning again?"  
  
She nodded, shivering more.  
  
"Shhh... you're safe now..." he assured, rocking her gently in his arms.  
  
"It was... weird, Mert..." she confided softly. "That guy was there, but it's like I know him..."  
  
"What guy?" he asked, concerned. Becky had never mentioned a "guy" before...  
  
"The wolf-guy..." she yawned. "He seemed to want to help me... but he couldn't..." she said sleepily.  
  
Merton looked down at her, about to say... something, anything, but she had already fallen asleep on his chest... "Night, Sis..." he murmured softly, kissing the top of her head...}  
  
~How I long for something better, than this life I know too well. Lord, I know I'm bound for Heaven, 'cause I've done my time in hell.~  
  
One final image appeared in the fountain, this time of Tommy and Lori...  
  
{"It's my fault..." Tommy said, holding back tears, refusing to let Lori see him cry.  
  
"It's *not* your fault!" she insisted firmly. "Merton loved you too much for you to be blaming---"  
  
"Loved?!" he echoed angerily.  
  
"What?" she asked, confused, stepping back slightly.  
  
"Loves, not loved!" he growled. "I will *not* give up on him, and if that's your attitude, I'd like you to leave!"  
  
"Tommy, I..." she stopped, realizing it was futile to argue with him in a mood like this. "Goodbye, Tommy..." she sighed, leaving before the tears could fall...}  
  
Merton wiped his own tears from his cheeks, watching as they caused ripples in the fountain.  
  
"I'm here, bud... Just gotta find me..." he whispered. "I'm here..." he whispered again, reaching out to touch the image, causing it to ripple and drift away...  
  
~We are the children of the night. Oooooh. Children of the night. We won't go down without a fight. Whoa. Our voice is strong, our future's bright. And, thanks to what we learned from you, we've grown into the children of the night...~  
  
  
~*The End*~  



End file.
